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Career Student Life

5 Reasons Why You Should Get an MBA

October 21, 2021

Getting a Master of Business Administration degree is one of the best decisions you can make when it’s time to push your professional career forward. An MBA can help you get ahead in your career, start your own business, and so much more. 

Many people debate whether it’s a good idea for them to go back to school and get an MBA. But there are so many benefits to choosing this as a new college option that will help you get ahead. Read below for some of the top reasons why you should consider going for your MBA.

1.     The People You Meet

While studying for a Masters of Business Administration degree, you will get a chance to meet others who share the same passion that you do for business. Whether you are an introvert or an extrovert, or if you plan to work for yourself or for a company, you will find that pursuing your MBA can open the door to valuable networking opportunities.

Take the time while working on your MBA to focus on networking and learning more about the world of business. You can make some of the best connections possible when you go for your MBA and there is never another opportunity to meet people like this all in one place. 

2.     You Get a Holistic Business Education

There is so much that you can learn when you work with an MBA. Even if you have spent a lot of time in the workforce, there are situations when learning new techniques and methods can be useful.

On-campus and online MBA programs can provide you with a holistic business education that will make sure you have a wide knowledge base and expand your interests more than anything else. 

3.     Work On Your Communication

An MBA program enables you to become an effective communicator. From writing papers and emails to giving a lot of presentations, you will do it all within this degree program. 

MBA programs are designed to help students find the best way to effectively communicate in all sorts of business environments. This is an essential skill for many of the industries in the world of business, and yet one that is going to be lacking in most business professionals. 

Whether you need help overall or you have a specific area that is lacking, you will find that this degree is going to give you some tips and tricks to make it all a bit better. 

4.     Learn About Collaborations and Building Teams

In the world of business, you will need to spend a lot of time working with others, being part of a team, and sharing ideas along the way. Collaborating isn’t always easy, but with an MBA program, you will get a chance to experience this before entering the workforce.

Businesses, no matter what type they are, are a type of group environment. If you are not already spending a good deal of time working in teams, you will find that this will change as you pursue your MBA degree. 

You will need to work on these teams regardless of whether you get the degree on campus or through an online university. You will also spend time learning how to build good teams, which is an important step in business management.

5.     Expand Your Mind

Busy careers can make it really hard to find the time for any kind of self-reflection. This is something that can change when you work on an MBA. Whether you decide to do this on campus or you are doing an online program, the MBA will make it easier to expand your mind. 

While you take these classes and spend time with other students who share your interests, you will get a chance to step back and think about things in a different light. These programs help you think about bigger issues in business, branch out in some new directions, and even consider some new opportunities to grow your career. 

Choosing to Get Your MBA Degree

An MBA degree is one of the best options to go with when you wish to further your career and get ahead with management or even starting your own business. When you are ready to make a change, take advantage of an MBA degree and see how much of a difference it can make for you. 

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Adulting Student Life

How to Build Credit as a College Student

October 18, 2021

Going to college is all about learning, which includes your studies, but also gaining a better understanding of how to manage your finances. A key part of this is building your credit. 

According to Experian, the average FICO score — a type of credit score — in the U.S. in 2020 was 711, which falls into the good credit score range. Good credit can open up more financial opportunities during college and beyond, including more favorable loan terms and interest rates. 

If you want the benefits of having a healthy credit score, here are a few ways to help build your credit to above-average and excellent levels.

Apply for a student credit card

It can be difficult to qualify for certain credit cards when you’re starting to build credit, but student credit cards typically have less strict requirements. Even better, many of the best credit cards for students don’t come with annual costs and provide valuable benefits — which could include earning cash back on your purchases.

To find the right student card for you, consider the benefits and earning rates being offered. A card might be a good fit if its benefits and cashback bonus categories align with your spending habits and lifestyle.

Become an authorized user

You don’t have to apply and qualify for your own credit card to start building your credit. Many credit card companies allow for authorized users to be added to existing accounts. The account owner controls what the authorized user has access to, including having their own card connected to the account.

The benefit of becoming an authorized user is being able to build your credit with the help of the account owner. As long as the credit account is being used and paid off, you should see your credit start to grow. Talk with a family member or trusted friend about becoming an authorized user on their credit card account and whether it would make sense for you.

Use credit responsibly

An essential part of building and maintaining a healthy credit score is ensuring you always use credit responsibly. For example, it typically doesn’t make sense to carry a balance on a credit card because of high interest rates. Paying off your balance in full each month can help you avoid costly fees and interest charges and stay on track toward your financial goals.

It’s important to use credit responsibly so you can improve your credit score. Part of this includes budgeting for your monthly payments and making them on time — whether you open a credit card or take out a loan.

Add rent payments to your credit report

If you’re the type of person who has renters insurance and always pays rent on time, it could make sense to research and consider using a service to report your rental payment history. 

Rent payments aren’t often automatically included on credit reports, but certain services can help report your positive rent payments to different credit bureaus, which could boost your credit score. Since most college students are just getting started building credit, there’s no credit check for GradGuard’s Renters Insurance.

Consider a credit-builder loan

Apart from credit cards, you can also use loans, such as credit-builder loans, to help build your credit. With a credit-builder loan, a lender will typically add the proceeds to a secured savings account. You’ll make regular monthly payments toward the loan balance, and the money becomes available to you once you pay off the loan.

You have to pay some interest for the borrowed money, but this type of opportunity can be helpful if your options for building credit are limited. Many banks and financial institutions offer credit-builder loans.

Final thoughts

No matter your field of study, having a solid understanding of credit and its potential benefits can help shape your future financial decisions. And if you start building your credit now, you’ll pave the way for unlocking valuable financial opportunities down the road.

BIO: FinanceBuzz’sVP of Content, Tracy Odell, also held the same position at Student Loan Hero and has expertise in this subject, as well as all things related to college finances.

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Health Student Life

Why College Students Should Exercise Regularly

October 14, 2021

College can be daunting and exhausting. For some, managing their time well has become a part of their daily routine. But for some students who can’t handle college life well, focusing on several activities at once could be an overwhelming process.

As a college student with more than one stressor, keeping a healthy routine that includes regular exercise is essential. It’s not only great for physical benefits, but it can also rewire your brain.

Here are seven crucial reasons college students should incorporate exercise in their daily life.

Improves Concentration and Focus

You may not know it now, but a workout can help improve your concentration and focus.

When you exercise, you allow your brain to stimulate new cells. This can help boost your overall well-being, including concentration and keeping the mind focused. Such activity can result in being more productive in your school work and could help you ace that exam you’ve dreaded since the start of the semester.

Relieves Stress

Stress is one reason some college students fail to get a passing mark. We’re not generalizing the scenario, but we all know how stress could affect students’ study habits.

While stress can do that to people, exercise can counter the decline in neurotransmitters. As such, your brain will produce endorphins that could generally make you feel happier or relaxed. It could even lessen your chances of experiencing heart attacks or stomach problems.

Enhances Memory

The brain cells found in our hippocampus are responsible for the formation of memories. It’s also where you dig up and recall memories that are in the past.

So when you study for a quiz, you use the cells in your hippocampus to store and form memories that could help you remember what you’ve read. It’s a helpful tool when you sit down on your chair and start taking the quiz.

But like every cell in our body, they tend to diminish. To avoid losing your brain’s power, use exercise to help build a better block for your memory. It boosts the creation of these important cells that could make an impact on your college life.

Stimulates Brain Cell Development

Our brain is a beautiful machine. It’s what keeps our bodily functions moving and fighting against external stressors.

However, the most exciting part of the brain is cell development that could help us improve our lifestyle.

Treat your brain as your physical body. To be able to function well, you have to feed it with essential nutrients. That includes maintaining a healthy exercise routine.

It’s essential to stimulate brain cell development at this stage in your life. That’s because it’s where you juggle school activities and the troubles of being an adult.

Builds Immune System Strength

At this point in your life, you’d want to avoid getting sick at all because missing one school activity can drastically affect your class standing. Building your immune system should be a top priority, especially because stress can attack your body in ways that you don’t expect.

Regular exercise is one way to boost your immune system. It will allow your body to fight off the common cold, flu, and sometimes even severe health conditions.

Improves Physical Health

Of course, the first thing you’ll notice when you start exercising is developing your physical health. You could quickly feel your muscles being pumped and improving your strength and endurance.

Exercising can include visiting the gym, doing home workouts, yoga, pilates, or even joining your school’s hiking club. Remember that you should pick a flexible regimen that could fit your schedule and match your physical capacity to move around.

We recommend making an outdoor trip once in a while to keep you inspired and to avoid the effects of burnout. You may not have the whole outdoor adventure gear, but to keep walking sticks for hiking in your college dorm is enough to last you an hour or two out in the wild.

Boosts Your Mood

We’ve mentioned earlier the effects of endorphins in our bodies. It’s essential to keep a positive vibe for most of the days during your college years. It’s a basic weapon to survive the most grueling tasks of beating deadlines, maintaining a grade, and learning from all your subjects.

You can improve your mood by doing light to moderate exercises at least three times a week. You may think that squeezing in a 30-minute exercise into your already busy day is hard. But you can achieve this without sweat with proper time management!

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Adulting Student Life

Essential Apps for College Student Survival

October 7, 2021

If you’re a student who’s constantly multitasking, college can seem like a difficult endeavor. It’s especially true if you rely on a part-time job to make ends meet. But at the same time, you’re always trying to balance out other activities and engagements, such as meeting friends, gaming, and relaxing. Managing social and academic life, in this regard, requires that you’re fast and super productive.  

As the education sector integrates more and more technology, students can find new innovative ways to balance their academics and social life. So whether you’re a college freshman or in your senior year, you’re probably looking for apps that can make it easier to survive college. 

Here is a list of some essential apps you can use to manage time and improve your productivity. 

Evernote

A big part of college life entails “note-taking.” How about having an app that allows you to take notes by entering text and ideas?

Evernote can do just that. This amazing app is a “must-have” for every student. From note-taking, organizing them to managing tasks, everything becomes a piece of cake with Evernote. It allows you to take comprehensive notes by adding images, audio, PDFs, text, and documents. 

Even better, the app includes a wide variety of tools that enable students to recall learned material saved as personalized notes. 

Plus, Evernote has an effectively integrated search engine to help you trace phrases within your notes, providing faster notes retrieval. It not only hastens your revision sessions but also allows you to incorporate material relevant to your concepts.

Grammarly

It’s not uncommon for students to turn in fantastic assignments, only to lose marks because of poor grammar or lackluster vocabulary. Sure, it seems unfair, but you can’t deny the importance of good grammar when it comes to writing quality assignments. In this case, apps like Grammarly can be a huge help. This app can significantly improve sentence structure and boost your work’s readability and clarity.  

In addition to this, Grammarly offers numerous suggestions for different errors to help you understand your grammatical weaknesses. The app is compatible with many other applications to enrich your communication.

Turnitin

Turnitin, like the former, is an important service for writing quality papers. The app catches plagiarism in the work and allows you to correct all the plagiarized parts of your essays.

Prezi

College presentations are challenging and can be time-consuming. Use Prezi to add a wow factor to your text while reducing the effort and time spent making a presentation. With Prezi, you can keep your focus on research and deliver a comprehensive and appealing research presentation. 

Another thing that makes Prezi even better is its easy-to-use feature. You don’t need to have video editing expertise or graphics to use Prezi.

Microsoft Office Lens

Microsoft Office Lens is an excellent app that has revolutionized note-taking. It provides students an easy way to scan material for conversion to Word, PDF, PowerPoint, and save to the cloud or local device. It helps students to concentrate on their revision instead of spending time taking notes.  

Dropbox

Dropbox is a popular app that ranks high as a cloud storage solution. The app allows students to access all documents easily. With Dropbox, students can seamlessly access documents and files across numerous devices. 

Mint

Finances are some of the tricky elements in the life of a student. Mint is a smart app that helps students keep track of their expenses, thus enabling them to develop healthy spending habits. Besides this, Mint offers suggestions to create financial goals to help college students balance their accounts.

In a nutshell, campus life is hard. But for all your student-life challenges, there is a comprehensive app to reduce the burden. The given apps are the top picks to help you make stellar essays, manage time, and boost productivity.

BIO: Lyle Solomon has considerable litigation experience as well as substantial hands-on knowledge and expertise in legal analysis and writing. Since 2003, he has been a member of the State Bar of California. In 1998, he graduated from the University of the Pacific’s McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento, California, and now serves as a principal attorney for the Oak View Law Group in Rocklin, California.

Student Life

7 Habits That Ruin Your Productivity

October 4, 2021

Being productive is something we all want, and often struggle to achieve. Successfully navigating college involves a high level of productivity, but getting sidetracked is a common problem that many students face.

Little habits that creep in can soon become entrenched, sapping concentration and motivation. Becoming aware of these is a good first step in dealing with college life—and enjoying it.

There are seven common habits that get in the way of being productive.

1. Trying to multitask

Our brains are not built to manage more than one task at a time. A study on the subject revealed that only 2.5% of research participants could multitask successfully. Stick to one task at a time, finish it, and then move on.

Keeping on top of assignments and tests isn’t easy. Many students find themselves stretched across a number of activities at anyone time. Trying to multitask, however, often results in taking longer to complete things.

2. Constantly checking email and social media

It should come as no surprise that interrupting your work regularly with distractions lowers productivity. The habit of checking social media constantly disrupts your focus and ends up eating away even more time as you try to settle back down to work.

A few tips to help curb this habit include:

–    Use tracking apps to monitor how long you spend online

–    Use apps to block access to certain websites

–    Go back to the basics: switch your phone or other devices off while you complete a task

3. Being too hard on yourself

Some people believe that being ultra-harsh on themselves is good for self-discipline and personal growth. But beating yourself up when things don’t go right can actually make you even less productive than usual. The mental energy it takes to scold yourself saps your concentration, and with it, your ability to work and study.

4. Not taking breaks

It might seem like plowing through tasks without a break is the best way of getting things done efficiently. But not taking breaks can have a negative impact on your productivity.

Getting adequate rest, taking some time out to play games, or do anything else you enjoy increases your overall productivity and reduces your chance of burning out.

5. Waiting for the perfect moment

A common form of procrastination is waiting until you feel “ready” before beginning your work. No matter how tempting this might be, it’s probably one of the worst ways to approach your studies. Before long, this habit can become a full-blown mental block.

6. Leaving difficult tasks until last

This also relates to procrastination and perfectionism. It can be easy to push your more difficult tasks to the back of your mind. However, putting them off can prove disastrous in the long run. By the time you get around to doing whatever needs to be done, it’s likely that you’re tired and unmotivated.

7. Saying yes to everything

Completing assignments, studying for tests and taking part in student activities are all important parts of college life. Despite this, trying to do absolutely everything can get in the way of enjoying your time as a student—as well as destroying productivity.

To produce good work and engage with your studies, you need to set boundaries around how you’re going to spend your time. Learning how to balance life and work is a great skill for everyone to master.

Nobody is productive 100% of the time. Set realistic expectations and manage your time well and you’ll make maintaining a high level of productivity a good habit.

Student Life Transition

Must-Know Tips for Incoming College Freshmen

September 27, 2021

Heading off to college is one of the most thrilling times for many young adults. With a brand-new environment, exciting new experiences, new friendships and your future ahead of you, there are plenty of things to be excited about; however, for many, this can also be an intimidating experience. If you want to enjoy your first few weeks of college and put yourself on the path to a successful future, here are a few must-know tips.

Develop a Healthy Diet Plan

Freshman fifteen is a worrisome experience for many new incoming students. You may suddenly have a whole new sense of control over what you eat and when you do. If you want to enjoy your first year at college, you need to have a plan for a health-friendly diet, which means getting the right nutrients and avoiding processed foods. Once you know your schedule, consider what a nutritious meal plan can look like and set some guidelines for yourself. Don’t forget vitamins and supplements to help keep you on track!

Explore the Campus

Another common plight of first-year students is getting lost on campus. Due to the vast exponential size of many college campuses and the newness of the territory, it can be easy to get lost and confused. The last thing you will want to do is be late or unable to find your way. If you want to make for a smoother transition, take time to explore the campus and get acclimated. Not only can this help you be on time, but it can also help you find the best eateries and cool spots to hang out on campus.

Get Organized

If you are accustomed to adults keeping you organized, college may present numerous challenges. With you being on your own for the first time, you need to learn how to get organized. Whether this is organizing your class schedule, assignments, laundry schedule or even just your room, there are plenty of areas that you need to learn how to manage on your own.

Get to Know Your Advisor

One of your greatest resources on campus is your advisor. This person is meant to help guide you and offer advice as you take on your college experience. Your job is to know when and how to ask for help. You can use this person as a sounding board and another source of support, so make sure that you prioritize cultivating a relationship with them.

Be Open to Trying New Things

College is a time of massive transition. This adjustment can take time and at times feel uncomfortable; however, if you want to make the most of your college experience, you should be open to trying new things. Introducing yourself to strangers, joining a new club or trying a new class may change your life, and all you need to do is be open to the experience. The exciting and reassuring part of this is that you can know that everyone else is experiencing the same thing.

Venturing into the collegiate experience can hold boundless opportunities and exciting experiences. With a bit of planning, preparation and intention behind your decision-making, you can assuage all of your anxieties and open yourself up to this wondrous new opportunity.

BIO: Brett Clawson has a degree in Business Management and has started a couple of small businesses. When he’s not focusing his time on those, he spends time with his wife and two sons. His oldest son has entered the wonderful realm of college, and he now enjoys sharing tips that he and his son have found essential for college life.

Other Student Life

6 Tips to Launch an E-commerce Business While in College

September 27, 2021

Starting a business while you are still in college can help you earn money even before you graduate. This can help you be a self-supporting student or pay your student loan afterward.

If you are wondering what kind of business you can start while still in college, we suggest that you dive into e-commerce. Here’s why:

  1. It gives you the potential to earn while you sleep.
  2. It does not cost much to create your own e-commerce site.
  3. It has the potential to grow exponentially.

If you are interested in opening your online store, here are six tips you should keep in mind:

Define Your Market

The key to having a successful business is to ensure that people will be willing to buy your products. As such, you must define who your target market is.

Luckily, your college can be an excellent starting point. Observe the trends in your school or figure out their common dilemma. From there, you can niche down.

For instance, you notice that your schoolmates rely too much on processed food. What could be the reason behind it? And how do you intend to respond to it?

Find a Product to Sell

Once you have determined your target market, what you need to do next is to figure out what you can sell to them.

Using our previous example, there are two ways you can cater to the student’s need for a nutritious meal:

  1. You can sell homemade nutrition bars. It is cost-effective and easy to do on your part, while it gives your schoolmates an option for a healthy snack.
  2. You can dropship healthy, ready-to-cook meals. It eliminates your need to produce the product and manage your inventory. Plus, you can have a high profit margin.

These are just two examples of an online business model. You can come up with your own, depending on the resources that you have.

Name Your Online Store

After determining your target market, the product you will sell, and how you will sell it, the next step is to turn your business idea into reality. You start by naming your online store.

Here are some quick tips you can keep in mind:

●  Make it short and simple so that people can easily remember it.

●  Consider incorporating your target keyword (more on that later).

Set Up Your E-commerce Website

Here’s why you need a short and simple name for your e-commerce business: It’s because it will also serve as the domain name of your website.

To set up your online store, you will need a domain name and an e-commerce website builder like Shopify or WooCommerce. From there, you can choose a web design theme that you can tweak a bit before you begin.

Your website does not have to be perfect. But it should be functional.

And while this is the part where you will need to spend some money, setting up your e-commerce website should not cost much.

Understand SEO

Search Engine Optimization is ensuring that your e-commerce website will appear on search engines.

So, if you are selling nutrition bars online and one of your schoolmates typed in “affordable nutrition bar” on Google, your online store should be one of the search results.

Although you need to consider various factors in ranking a website for a specific keyword, we suggest learning SEO basics first. That way, you would know the fundamentals you need to apply on your e-commerce site for launch with a bang.

Leverage Social Media

Social media is an excellent way to market your business. More so, if your school has various Facebook Groups where you can join and sell your products.

You can also make a dedicated page for your online business to expand your market reach. What’s important is that you follow each platform’s guidelines.

It may sound like a lot of work, but starting an e-commerce business while still in college can benefit you. And when you follow the tips listed above, you can launch and grow your online store without hassle.

Career Student Life

How Students Can Make Some Extra Cash In Real Estate

September 15, 2021
Hand holding up money

If you are a college student looking to make extra money, there are plenty of ways for you to do so. From driving with Uber or Lyft to working for your university, many opportunities are available if you know where to look. One area you might not have thought to look at, however, is real estate. How can a full-time student make any money in the real estate business? Well, that’s exactly what we are going to explore in this post!

There is plenty of money to be made, and all you need is the attitude and planning to get a piece of it!

Have You Considered Becoming a Part-Time Realtor?

There are several steps you need to take before you can become a realtor, but — once completed — this job offers flexible hours. A realtor that works 20 hours/week makes $24,556 a year on average. That means you can choose when to work and easily schedule around class time. You’ll need to take an online prep course and then pass your state’s licensing exam, but after that, you can apply to a brokerage near your school.

If you have a free summer, then you should take the course and licensing exam then, as you wouldn’t want the licensing process to get in the way of your studies. Plus, it doesn’t take three months to complete, so you can use the rest of the summer to get comfortable with the job before resuming your studies.

Suppose you are going to school for finance, business, or hospitality and management. In that case, this job is a perfect resume builder because it involves negotiating with buyers and sellers, keeping track of accounts, numbers, and spreadsheets, and requires that you develop and maintain a schedule. If you can pull it off, this is a lucrative way to make money while in school and develop many sought-after skills in the job marketplace.

Have You Considered Investing in Real Estate?

Investing in real estate sounds like something your parents might bring up with their friends as you awkwardly engage in conversation at a family party. However, it has never been easier for retail investors, a.k.a. you, me, and everyone who isn’t a full-time investor, to enter the real estate investment market.

Many traditional investment businesses have followed Robinhood’s lead and opened up real estate investments to the masses through REITs publicly traded on the stock market. REITs, short for real estate investment trusts, are publicly traded companies that exist solely to invest in real estate. It is an indirect way to invest in real estate, as you are removed from direct investments, but the return on investment can undoubtedly be direct!

If you have extra cash, you may want to consider investing in a REIT through Robinhood or any similar investment app. A smart plan would be not to order out once a week and instead put that money toward a REIT investment. Similarly, you could look at any extraneous expense, like coffee or pizza, and reallocate that money into your investments.

The Takeaway

There are many ways to tap into the predicted growth when it comes to massive markets – like real estate. Whether you tap into it directly by getting involved in a brokerage as a realtor or indirectly through real estate investments, there are opportunities to be had and money to be made.

The critical thing to remember is that opportunities are abundant if you know how and where to look for them.

BIO: Veronica Baxter is a writer, blogger, and legal assistant operating out of the greater Philadelphia area. She writes for Chad Boonswang, a successful life insurance lawyer in Philadelphia.  

Student Life

7 Top Budgeting Tips for College Students

September 12, 2021
finances

Going to college is an exciting period in your life. You’ll likely experience more freedom than at any prior point in your life. While spreading your wings is fun and amazing, one area that can get you in trouble is money.

Without a thorough understanding of basic finance, new college students often find themselves in trouble very quickly. College can be a great place to learn how to budget your finances, a skill that will benefit you for the rest of your life.

1. Start by Adding Up Your Expenses

Before you can budget anything, you need to know what you are working with. Total up the amount of money you have coming in each month. Start with any full or part-time jobs you may be holding while in college. If your hours fluctuate each week, you can look at the last several months and figure out the average.

Also consider any other sources of income, such as money from your parents, student loans, gifts from relatives, anything that brings in money. Add all those income sources to calculate your monthly net income. This is what you use to budget your expenses.

2. Add Together Your Expenses

Now you’ll want to total up all your expenses. Are you living in an apartment? You want to write down your rent (or your share of it if you have roommates). What about transportation? Do you have a car, or do you use public transportation?

If you rent an apartment, what about your utilities such as gas, electricity, water, parking, and anything else associated with it? Living in an apartment means you’re probably responsible for your food, too. Add that in.

What about gym memberships, going to the movies, books, clothes, cell phone, and other materials? It’s important to sit down and go through your month day by day and write down any time you spent money.

When totaling your expenses, you may need to calculate an average once again. If you are renting an apartment, chances are your rent is fixed, the same amount month to month. But expenses like food may vary greatly from month to month. Total your expenses for several months. Divide the total by that number of months. There’s your average for those expenses that may fluctuate every month.

3. Divide Your Expenses into Needs VS Wants

Here’s where you have to get real. If you are struggling to make ends meet each month, you may need to make some cuts. Start by tracking your expenses and deciding if you need them or if they are expendable.

If you live in your own apartment, that’s probably a need. You may be able to find additional roommates to help shoulder the cost. You might be able to find a cheaper apartment. Or you may consider moving into your college’s dorms.

Other expenses can be adjusted, too. What about your cell phone? Do you really need it? If you do, maybe you can move to a more affordable plan. Consider your food. Learn a few simple cooking techniques, buy some groceries, and you’ll be amazed at how much money you can save.

Many online services are subscription-based. These services rely on customers forgetting about them and they roll over month to month. Look at any subscriptions you may have. Are there any you’ve forgotten? Of the ones you have, are you really using them enough to warrant the expense?

4. Saving Money Where You Live

Most financial experts will say living in a dorm is better for your bottom line. Your heat, water, electricity, and meal plan are often all rolled up in one expense. This makes it much easier to keep track of your money and what you need to pay.

Unless you are living in your parents’ home, try to get an apartment close to school. Instead of dumping all your money into a used car that may break down at the worst time, walk to school. You’ll be healthier and save a lot of money.

If you own a dog or cat, you may be able to get pet surcharges in your apartment dropped by getting your pet certified as an emotional support animal. Getting an ESA letter is easier to get now than in years past.

5. Watch the Economy

Pay attention to the global, national, and local economies. Like it or not, the economy affects college students, too. If the economy is doing well, you may be able to find a better paying part-time job while you are in college. However, if the economy is doing poorly, you might want to hang onto that job you were thinking about quitting until things get better.

6. Look for Online and Offline Savings

There are many opportunities to save when shopping online. One well-known tactic is using credit cards to rack up rewards points, cashback, or airline miles. Another way to save is by using an online shopping extension, like the one from Capital One Shopping or Honey.

Another simple way to save money while shopping is using your student ID. That little card opens a world of savings to you. There’s only one catch. Many times, you must ask if a business offers student discounts. Many do, but they don’t advertise it. Carry your student ID with you everywhere you go. It’s that simple.

7. Compare Investing with Paying Off Student Loans

Yes, investing and planning for your retirement as early as possible is smart. Paying off student loans is also a great move. The key to deciding which to do and how much depends on interest rates.

How much money will you save by paying off your college loans early? How much money will you make in your investments? Comparing your student loans and investment goals will begin to give you an idea of where to put your money.

Summing Up

Going to college is an important step in your journey into adulthood. The best part? Many important life lessons are the ones you don’t learn in a classroom. Simply by being proactive, you can save a lot of money, reduce the pressure on yourself, and enjoy college even more.

Adulting Safety Student Life

Apartment Safety Tips for Renters

September 10, 2021

When it comes to living in your first apartment, safety is just as important as location or amenities. As opposed to single-family homes, apartments are 85% more likely to be targeted for crimes such as theft, according to the National Crime Prevention Council. Fortunately, there are several ways to protect yourself from apartment burglars.

An apartment complex that has many units can be an easier target for burglars because they are able to act as though they live in the building and simply follow someone inside. There are other factors that also affect the likelihood of a burglar paying a visit to an apartment complex, including:

  • Convenience
  • Occupancy
  • Visibility
  • Accessibility
  • Vulnerability

Even in a smaller unit such as a one-bedroom apartment, there could be items that are valuable and worth stealing. In fact, the average victim of theft reports a loss of $2,416, according to FBI crime reports. Although the two most common stolen items are drugs and money, there is a variety of valuables that could be in plain sight and easy for a burglar to grab.

Other common stolen items include:

  • Cash
  • Jewelry
  • Illegal drugs
  • Electronics
  • Prescription drugs

Security Tips for New Renters

One of the perks of living in an apartment complex is that other tenants can give an added element of vigilance. Aside from this, however, there are some steps that new renters can follow to help protect their homes. Whether it’s your first time moving into an apartment or the tenth, here are some safety tips to think about before move-in day:

  1. Do a search of local crime. Take a virtual tour of an online crime database before you tour the building. Location is key, so find out what to expect before you sign a lease.
  • Survey the environment. Details such as dark corners, overgrown landscaping, peeling paint or broken fences are signs of inattention and carelessness, which can attract burglars looking for an easy target.
  • Check the windows. While doors are often the first point of entry for residents and burglars alike, broken, vulnerable or loose windows make getting in too easy for intruders.

Moving into your first apartment is an exciting adventure. To protect your new home, make sure your security bases are covered. Check out this infographic for more information on how to get your residential security up to snuff as a renter or landlord.

BIO: Travis Ray is Director of Customer Care & Strategic Marketing for KEYper® Systems, a key management and storage systems company. Ray is responsible for overseeing the customer care team that provides software and hardware support for new and current clients.